184: Should You Care if People Think You’re Weird

In this short episode of Legends and Losers, Christopher Lochhead ponders a question that he has previously answered. Do you care if people think or say that you are weird?

"We're trying to find the magic line between deeply connecting with people but not overly concerning ourselves with what they think of us. It's a bit of a dichotomy." - Christopher Lochhead

The World as We Know It

We live in a world that tricks us into believing that the pathway to professional or personal success is fitting in. That we need to color inside the lines and be like everyone else in order to succeed. Some of us are told to sit still and be quiet and not make too many waves.

There have been countless times in Chris' life when he has fallen into the trap of trying to manage what other people think of him. But human autonomy dictates that there's really no way to control what people are going to think of us.

Perils of Fitting In

Based on Chris' own experience, becoming part of the crowd isn't the path to success. Having the courage to stand out will pave the way. When we try to manage what other people think about us so that we're not written off as weird or different, we are actually trying to fit in.

And the biggest irony of this deep, inherent human desire to fit in? People who are different make the biggest difference.

Break Ground by Embracing Your Weird

People who managed to become successful in their chosen careers broke new ground by being different. If any, very few of them fit into the mold that society has made for us.

We want to maintain human connections, sure. But getting lost by following others guarantee failure to learn who we truly are and what we can be. Only by embracing our different and weird can we become the legendary versions of ourselves.